Abstract

Background

The aim of this study was to describe eating patterns in early adolescence and to
determine associations between eating patterns and overweight from middle childhood
(4th grade, 9 to 10 years old) to early adolescence (7th grade, 12 to 13 years old).

Methods

Children were recruited from primary schools in Telemark County, Norway. Dietary data
were obtained by parental report using a food frequency questionnaire. Height and
weight were objectively measured, and overweight was defined using international standard
cut-off points. Complete data were obtained for 924 4th grade and 691 7th children, and 427 children provided complete data at both time points. Principal component
analysis was applied to identify eating patterns. We used multiple logistic regression
to calculate adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for being
overweight.

Results

The same four distinct eating patterns were identified at both time points. Correlation
coefficients for the factor scores of corresponding eating patterns at baseline and
follow up ranged from 0.44 to 0.60. In the follow-up sample, 345 children (80%) were
still of normal weight, while 41 (10%) remained overweight. Children with high "dieting"
pattern scores and low "varied Norwegian" pattern scores in the 7th grade had an increased risk of being overweight. Children with stable or increased
"varied Norwegian" pattern scores had a lower risk of remaining overweight over time
than children with decreased scores for this pattern; adjusted OR: 0.4 (95% CI: 0.2,
0.8). This pattern included foods and meals close to current dietary guidelines, including
vegetables, fruit and unrefined cereal products. We did not observe an increased risk
of overweight in children with high "unhealthy" eating pattern scores, termed "snacking"
or "junk/convenient" in either cross-sectional or longitudinal analyses.

Conclusions

Slight to moderate stability of eating patterns was observed. Children adhering to
a "varied Norwegian" eating pattern were less likely to remain overweight than children
with declining adherence to this pattern. Overweight children should be encouraged
to eat regular main meals and retain a diverse diet that includes unrefined plant
foods, water and fish, rather than fat- and sugar-reduced foods and drinks.